171 



Physiology, in which much laboratory work is likewise suggested. 

 We are of the opinion that a more logical undergraduate course 

 ofstudycanbe made out by beginning with Histology. The 

 fourth part includes the chapters devoted to Systematic Botany, 

 and here we note some things which are decidedly In advance of 

 Prof. Bastin's former work ; the most noteworthy of these is the 

 restoration of Algae, Fungi and Lichens to their natural positions 

 as classes of the sub-kingdom Thallophyta, This is rather rough 

 on the ''American School," but we feel like congratulating Prof. 

 Bastin on his evident emancipation from his earlier ideas on this 

 subject. He says, Indeed "the attempt to arrange plants strictly 

 m accordance with their modes of reproduction has been aban- 

 doned, both as impracticable and inconvenient;" he might very 

 truly have added '* and unnatural" His arrangement of the 

 Bryophyta into (i) Hepaticae, and (2) Musci, does not individu- 

 ahze the Sphagnaceae as sufficiently as their greater complexity 

 demands. The Characea^ are brought Into a very unexpected, 

 and vve should argue quite erroneous position, being grouped 

 under the sub-class Chlorophyceae and next to the Desmids. 

 ourely their separation as a class is demanded by their very high 

 degree of differentiation, and it would appear that they should go 

 at the very summit of the Thallophyte column, or the base of the 

 Bryophyte series, rather than in the degraded company with 

 which they are here associated. Spermaphyta is the term 

 adopted for Phanerogamia, although the faulty construction of 

 G word has been pointed out, and we would submit that the 

 terminology of the groups mentioned in this sub-kingdom is 

 rather liable to discourage the student, and is quite at variance 

 With the author's idea to simplify science as expressed in his pre- 

 face. The book is concluded with a chapter on the succession 

 ^* plant life in geological time, in which the conclusions reached 

 by Prof, Dawson in his recent " Geological History of Plants " 



N. L. B. 



^olocasia in Jmnaica, — Disease of, Geo. Massee. (Journ. Linn. 

 Soc. xxlv, 45-49, illustrated). 



The plantations of Colocasia esculenta^ commonly known as 



Cocoes," '' Eddoes," etc., have lately been attacked by a para- 



site belonging to the genus Peronospora. This has been detcr- 



th 



are closely followed. 



